In a move widely expected to make gains towards the passage of policies designed to remove structural impediments to health care access in Massachusetts, health equity proponents, health care professionals, and elected officials are all supporting the adoption of a landmark health equity bill.
The breadth of the bill’s provisions includes both greater access for patients, such as by extending full MassHealth coverage to residents regardless of their immigration status, as well as increased diversity among Massachusetts health care professionals. Notably, the legislation also would provide for greater funding for safety net hospitals.
Advocates of these expansive Massachusetts health equity policies have been quick to point out that the bill also would decrease the cost of critical medications that treat chronic conditions that have been shown to affect minorities to a disproportionately greater extent. This is one of the many elements of the comprehensive legislation that is targeting the structural nature of health care inequities.
Being at the forefront of innovative health care legislation is nothing new for Massachusetts. The state’s passage of the 2006 laws requiring health insurance for all residents was deemed a landmark initiative at that time. Likewise, the 2012 legislation focused on reducing health care cost increases also was a leader among other U.S. states.
All eyes remain focused on these developments in Massachusetts, as the legislation can pave the way for similar health equity gains in other states in the months ahead.
